Pitmaster IndexJohn Foreman
Owner & Pitmaster, Old Hickory Bar-B-Q
John Foreman
Old Hickory Bar-B-QOwensboro, Kentucky
“You don't hear much about mutton outside of Owensboro, but it's our specialty.”
Signature:Chopped mutton with signature dip
John Foreman is the fifth-generation owner and pitmaster of Old Hickory Bar-B-Q, founded in 1918 by his great-great-grandfather, Owensboro blacksmith Charles 'Pappy' Foreman. John's father and grandfather ran it before him, and John assumed ownership in 2002, still using Pappy's original barbecue recipe. He has kept the century-old process unchanged: slow cooking over hickory wood finished with the family's signature dip. Old Hickory celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2018.
Technique
Mutton and pork slow-cooked over hickory in a traditional pit, then sauced with a house dip unchanged for generations.
Influences
Charles 'Pappy' ForemanFive generations of the Foreman familyOwensboro mutton heritage